Reactions to Trauma

Physical Reactions: Nervous energy, Jitters, muscle tension, upset stomach, rapid heart rate, dizziness, lack of energy, fatigue, teeth grinding.

Mental Reactions: Changes in the way you think about yourself, the world, other people. Heightened awareness of your surroundings (hypervigilance), Lessened awareness disconnection from yourself (dissociation), Difficulty concentrating, poor attention or memory problems, Difficulty making decisions. Intrusive images/Nightmares.

Emotional Reactions: Fear, Inability to feel safe. Sadness, grief, depression, Guilt, anger, irritability, numbness, lack of feelings, inability to enjoy anything, loss of trust, loss of self-esteem, feeling helpless, emotional distance from others, intense or extreme feelings, feeling chronically empty, blunted, then extreme, feeling.

Behavioral Reactions: Becoming withdrawn or isolated from others. Easily startled, avoiding places or situations. Becoming confrontational and aggressive, change in eating habits, Loss or gain in weight, Restlessness, Increase or decrease in sexual activity.

Changes in the way you think about yourself: You may have previously thought of yourself as strong and independent, but people who have experienced brutal, unexpected attacks or some other trauma may think they can no longer control their fate. You may now feel much more fearful and vulnerable. Your sense of being in control and able to protect yourself may have been shattered.

Changes in how you think about the world: Some events seem impossible to understand.